Work Schedule Changes Lasting Less Than 60 Calendar Days and Additional Requirements For

Benefits Alert 2015-02

Issued 07.16.2015

Please distribute this alert to any users within your agency who are responsible for transactions and benefit enrollments.

Work Schedule Changes Lasting Less than 60 Calendar Days and Additional Requirements for Submitting Work Schedule Change E-PARs

· Information regarding work schedule changes lasting less than 60 calendar days and additional requirements for submitting work schedule change E-PARs. This benefits alert rescinds Benefits Alert 2012-01.

In accordance with Management Directive 530.11, permanent full-time employees whose percent of time worked falls below 100 percent and is expected to remain below 100 percent for fewer than 60 calendar days retain their full-time benefits eligibility. In addition, permanent part-time employees working more than 50 percent whose percent of time worked falls below 50 percent for less than 60 calendar days retain their part-time benefits eligibility.

Agencies served by the HR Service Center

Agencies served by the HR Service Center should submit an E-PAR to have the work schedule transaction performed. The agency must specify if the duration of the work schedule is expected to last less than or greater than 60 calendar days. If the E-PAR does not indicate the duration of the work schedule change, the E-PAR will be returned to the agency to supply a specific timeframe for the work schedule change

Below is an example of text to insert in the “Description” block of the E-PAR for a work schedule that is changing for greater than 60 days.

Below is an example of text to insert in the “Description” block of the E-PAR for a work schedule that is changing for less than 60 days.

Agencies not served by the HR Service Center

If the work schedule is changing for less than 60 days, the following transactions will need to be processed for full-time permanent employees moving to a part-time work schedule:

· Via PO13 – Copy the record of the employee’s current position, change the start date of the record to reflect the date of the work schedule change and change the employee’s subgroup from full-time to part-time.

· Via PA40 – Execute an employment condition change effective the date of the work schedule change and update the employee’s work schedule on IT0007- Planned Working Time.

· Via PA30 – IT0171 - General Benefits Information, select the record created with the PA40 action and CHANGE to manually override the 2nd program grouping from part-time (04 or 11) to full-time (01). This will allow the employee to remain eligible for permanent, full-time benefits.

· Another work schedule change must be transacted if the employee is to revert to a full-time schedule prior to the 61st day.

The following transactions will need to be processed for permanent part-time employees whose percent of time worked falls below 50 percent for less than 60 calendar days:

· Via PA40 - Execute employment condition change effective the date of the work schedule change and update the employee’s work schedule on IT0007- Planned Working Time.

· Via PA30 - IT0171 - General Benefits Information, select the record created with the PA40 action and CHANGE to manually override the 2nd program grouping from part-time<50 percent (06) to part-time (04 or 11) if the employee is not eligible for the Bronze Plan. If the employee is eligible for the Bronze Plan, the 2nd program grouping should be changed to either 28 or 33 (whichever is applicable). This will allow the employee to remain eligible for health benefits.

· Another work schedule change must be transacted if the employee is to revert to a greater than 50 percent part-time schedule prior to the 61st day.

If an agency makes a determination that the employee’s work schedule change will continue more than 60 days, the following transactions will need to be processed for full-time permanent employees who move to a part-time work schedule:

· Via PA40 – Execute an employment condition change effective the date of the work schedule change and update the employee’s work schedule on IT0007- Planned Working Time.

· Via PA30 – IT0171 - General Benefits Information, select the record created with the PA40 action and CHANGE to manually override the 2nd program grouping from part-time (04 or 11) to 28 or 33. This will allow the employee to be eligible for the Bronze Plan in addition to part time PEBTF benefits.

The following transactions will need to be processed for permanent part-time employees whose percent of time worked falls below 50 percent for more than 60 calendar days:

· Via PA40 - Execute employment condition change effective the date of the work schedule change and update the employee’s work schedule on IT0007- Planned Working Time.

· Via PA30 - IT0171 - General Benefits Information, select the record created with the PA40 action and CHANGE to manually override the 2nd program grouping from part-time<50 percent (06) to part-time (04 or 11). This will allow the employee to remain eligible for benefits as a part-time employee working 50 percent or more. If the employee is eligible for the Bronze Plan, the 2nd program grouping will need to be updated to 28 or 33.

· View IT167 to ensure benefits delimited based on the update to IT171 if the employee was not eligible for the Bronze Plan. If benefits did not delimit, terminate coverage through HRBEN0014.

· Another work schedule change must be transacted if the employee is to revert to a greater than 50 percent part-time schedule at the end of the 60 days.

For additional information regarding selecting the appropriate work schedule, please refer to Time Alert 2012-01 – Work Schedule Updates.

Questions?
If you have any questions regarding Work Schedule Changes Lasting Less than 60 Calendar Days and Additional Requirements for Submitting Work Schedule Change E-PARs, please submit an HR help desk ticket in the benefits category. You may also call the HR Service Center, Agency Services & Operations Division at 877.242.6007.